SFX:
HORSE FADES IN TO FULL
SFX:
ONE GUNSHOT
MFX:
START UNDER
Anncr:
GUNSMOKE! Brought to you by L & M Filters. This is it! L & M is best, stands out from all the rest.
MFX:
UP AND UNDER
Anncr:
Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshall and the smell of....GUNSMOKE!
MFX:
THEME MUSIC UP, HOLD, THEN UNDER
Anncr:
GUNSMOKE! The transcribed story of the violence that moved West with young America...and the story of a man who moved with it.
MFX:
OUT
Matt:
I'm that man...Matt Dillon....United States Marshall...the first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancy job, and it makes a man watchful (pause) and a little lonely.
MFX:
INTRO
Matt:
Morning, Doc....Chester.
Doc:
Hello, Matt.
Chester:
We've been waitin' for you, Mr. Dillon.
Matt:
Something wrong?
Chester:
Yes sir. It's Mr. Dobie...he's at the desk in the hotel. And he's REAL upset about something. He wants to see you.
Matt:
All right, you both wait here for me. I'll be right back.
Doc:
All right, Matt.
SFX:
FOOT STEPS ON WOODEN WALK (6 to 8)
SFX:
DOOR OPEN (pause) DOOR CLOSE
Dobie:
Marshall Dillon, I've sure been wanting to see you.
Matt:
What's the trouble, Mr. Dobie? You got a riot in here?
Dobie:
There'll BE a riot if you don't get them people out of here, Marshall.
Matt:
What people?
Dobie:
The Daggits, that's who.
Matt:
Who are the Daggits?
Dobie:
Big Ben Daggit, he calls himself. And he IS big, too!
Matt:
I've never heard of him.
Dobie:
He's only been in Dodge since yesterday. He's one of them mountain men from on West. He's a hunter or something. One of them real hairy fellas. (meanly) Shouldn't be allowed around other white men.
Matt:
Why not? What's he doing?
Dobie:
(getting mad) He's sitting in my hotel! I let him in before he told me.
Matt:
Before he told you what?
Dobie:
(a little calmer) It's better you see for yourself, Marshall. His room's right at the top of the stairs.
Matt:
Well, OK, Dobie, let's go.
SFX:
TWO SETS OF FOOTSTEP GOING UP FLIGHT OF STAIRS UNDER FOLLOWING
Dobie:
It's true, ain't it, Marshall that I don't have to let nobody stay in my hotel I don't want?
Matt:
I guess so.....if you've got a good reason.
Dobie:
(insistent) I got PLENTY of reason! Three men have moved out already!
Matt:
Sounds to me like he must have a box of rattlesnakes with him.
Dobie:
It's worse'n that! (pause) This is his room here.
Matt:
Isn't this a double room?
Dobie:
He NEEDS it!
SFX:
KNOCK ON DOOR
Dobie:
He needs the whole doggone prairie. And that's where he's going! Now you tell him, Marshall!
SFX:
DOOR OPENS
Dan:
Hello?
Dobie:
I got the U.S. Marshall with me THIS time, Daggit!
Dan:
Oh?
Matt:
(calmly) I'm Marshall Dillon, Daggit. Mr. Dobie wanted me to come over here and meet you.
Dan:
Come on in.
SFX:
2 SETS OF FOOTSTEPS ON WOODEN FLOOR (4 steps each)
SFX:
DOOR CLOSE
Matt:
Well, you were right about his being big, Dobie.
Dan:
A man can't help being big.
Matt:
No offense meant.
Dan:
It's OK. But they's been times I wished I was smaller. Not that I can't move as fast as any man. I'm easier to see, that the only bad part.
Matt:
Tell me, Daggit, what's the trouble between you and Dobie here?
Dan:
It ain't MY trouble, Marshall!
Matt:
(slightly confused) All right, Dobie. I guess you'd better explain There's nothing wrong here that I can see.
Dobie:
It ain't him, it's his wife.
Matt:
(disbelief) What?
Dan:
He don't like my wife cause she's an Indian, Marshall.
Dobie:
(defensive) THAT'S A LIE! What do I care if she's an Indian?
Matt:
I don't understand.
Dobie:
Where is she, Daggit?
Dan:
In the other room.
Dobie:
(insistent) Well, bring her in here!
Dan:
(threatening) Dobie, you know what I could do to you with the fingers of this one hand?
Dobie:
Don't forget! I got the Marshall with me!
Dan:
I'll use the other hand on him, if he starts ordering me around, too!
Matt:
(trying to calm them both) Now wait a minute. This kind of talk isn't doing any good.
Dan:
You're probably pretty good with that gun, Marshall. But I've kilt mountain lions with this here knife. I ain't afraid of anything alive, and not many ghosts.
Dobie:
Ghosts! You even talk like a savage!
Matt:
(getting annoyed) That's enough, Dobie! (pause) Daggit, I didn't come here for a fight. I came to see what all this trouble's about. If it has something to do with your wife, tell me.
Dan:
It has to do with Dobie, NOT my wife.
Dobie:
(getting upset again) THAT'S A LIE!
Rose:
(off mic) Dan?
Dobie:
There she is! Look, Marshall!
Rose:
(on mic) If it's me they're talking about, Dan, why didn't you call me?
Dan:
It's nothing to do with you. They was trying to order me around... At least HE was...Dobie there.
Dobie:
I only told you to get her in here, so's the Marshall could see her.
Dan:
Well, now he's seen her. What's all the fuss about?
Dobie:
You're playin' dumb, ain't ya, Daggit?
Matt:
Wait a minute. I don't think he is. (pause) Tell me something, where did you and Mrs. Daggit meet?
Dan:
Near Denver.
Matt:
Denver?
Dan:
I'm a mountain man, Marshall. I never been to the prairie before.
Matt:
But what were you doing in Denver, Mrs. Daggit?
Rose:
I was sent there four years ago to complete my education. My father was a chief, Marshall.
Dobie:
(surprised) A CHIEF!! WHAT CHIEF?
Rose:
His name was Yellow Horse.
Matt:
(recognizes name) Yellow Horse!
Dobie:
(upset) THAT'S WORSE! THAT'S THE WORST YET!
Dan:
I don't understand either of you men! What're you talking about?
Matt:
Dobie could tell your wife was a Kiowa from the way she dressed.
Dan:
She's gotta come from SOME tribe, don't she?
Matt:
Being the daughter of Yellow Horse makes it even worse. Two years ago, the Kiowas killed some eighteen settlers on raids through the country near here. Yellow Horse led them, until he was killed.
Dan:
You never told me that. Is that true?
Rose:
I only heard my father was dead. They told me nothing else.
Dan:
Well, what difference does it make anyways? You wasn't on them raids.
Matt:
The feeling's still high against the Kiowas around here, Daggit. But you're right, she had nothing to do with them.
Dobie:
(disgusted) A Kiowa's a Kiowa, and we won't stand for them in Dodge!
Matt:
Don't be a fool, Dobie! How can you blame her for what somebody else did?
Dobie:
I blame the whole tribe! AND ESPECIALLY, her father. And I won't stand for her being here! She's probably as murdering as he was!
Dan:
(VERY angry) DOBIE!
Matt:
HOLD IT, Daggit! (long pause) (then calmly) I'd like to apologize to Mrs. Daggit for bothering her.
Dobie:
(disbelief) APOLOGIZE?
Matt:
Let's get out of here, Dobie, NOW!
Dobie:
NO! You come here to throw them out, and you're gonna do it!
Matt:
(getting annoyed) Dobie, I guess I'm a little like Dan Daggit here. I don't like taking orders very well, either!
Dobie:
(long pause before speaking) All right, Marshall. If the law won't help me...
Matt:
(interrupting) The law won't help you...and DON'T you try anything else! Now, COME ON! we're getting out of here!
MFX:
TRANSITION
SFX:
FOOTSTEPS ON WOODEN WALK (4)
Chester:
Oh, Mister Dillon....
Matt:
Yeah, what is it, Chester?
Chester:
Well...ahh...would you mind stopping into Mr. Jonas' store here? It won't take but a minute or two.
Matt:
You going to spend your betting money on clothes again?
Chester:
Oh, no sir. (pause) I mean...errr....well, you see, Mister Dillon, I need a little string tie.....for Sundays, kinda.
Matt:
(amused) Ohhh!
Chester:
They don't cost more'n a quarter.
Matt:
(still amused) All right. In that case, I'll go with you.
SFX:
DOOR OPEN WITH BELL (pause) DOOR CLOSE
Chester:
(pleased) Well! There's Miss Kitty! Hi, Miss Kitty!
Kitty:
(off mic) Hello, Chester.
Chester:
The ties are hanging back over there, Mister Dillon, I won't be long.
Matt:
All right, Chester.
SFX:
FOOTSTEPS ON A WOODEN FLOOR. (4)
Matt:
You're as bad as Chester, Kitty---always buying clothes!
Kitty:
(slightly surprised) As Chester? Matt, if Chester's always buying clothes, how come ever since I've known him, he's worn the SAME pair of striped pants?
Matt:
Well, he's careful with them, I guess. He never gets them torn.
Kitty:
He'd have to go to bed if he ever did!
Matt:
Where's Mister Jonas?
Kitty:
He's out back. Showing Dan Daggit and his wife something.
Matt:
Are they here?
Kitty:
Sure. He introduced me to them. Big Dan Daggit%u2014like you said last night. Matt, he's earned the name. He's a buffalo, that man!
Matt:
Yeah, he is.
Kitty:
His wife's name is Rose. He said he couldn't pronounce it in Indian, so he made it English. She's a beautiful little thing.
Matt:
She's prettier than most of the women around here.
Kitty:
Thanks!
Matt:
(slightly embarrassed) Now, Kitty....
Kitty:
(interrupting) No...you're right. She really IS. I guess Dan Daggit can't be all brute, or a girl like that would never have married him.
Matt:
It's too bad Dobie over at the Dodge House can't see it your way, Kitty.
Kitty:
Dobie's just not thinking very straight.
SFX:
DOOR OPENS WITH BELL (pause) CLOSES
Rodin:
(off mic) Where's Jonas/
Matt:
He's out back, Rodin.
Rodin:
Oh, hello, Marshall. I didn't recognize you. Ah! Here he comes.
SFX:
FOOTSTEPS ON WOODEN FLOOR (4)
Kitty:
Who's that, Matt?
Matt:
His name's Rodin. He works over at one of the stables.
Kitty:
Oh! That explains why he's too poor to come into the Long Branch.
Rodin:
(off mic) Jonas! (pause) Hey, Jonas!
Jonas:
(off mic) I'll be right with you, Rodin.
Rodin:
(STILL off mic) (annoyed) I'm in a hurry!
Jonas:
(STILL off mic) Won't be a minute.
Rodin:
(STIL off mic) Well, I ain't waiting while you sell her beads! Say!, wait a minute! What's she doin' in here, anyway?
Matt:
(quietly) You stay here, Kitty.
SFX:
FOOTSTEPS ON WOODEN FLOOR (4)
Jonas:
(ON mic) She's got as much right to be here as you have, Rodin!
Rodin:
(ON mic) A Kiowa woman? YOU'VE GONE CRAZY!
Jonas:
(flatly) NO.
Rodin:
(insistent) then throw her out of here! Or I WILL!
Dan:
That woman's MY wife, mister.
Rodin:
Your wife! (pause) YOUR wife??
Dan:
You'll have to throw ME out, too!
Rodin:
(scared) N...n...now look here...I...I didn't mean nothin'!
Dan:
If you don't mean nothin', then don't talk.
Rodin:
(still scared) Sure...sure...err....what do I care? It's your business. I don't care.
Dan:
And even if you DO care, you shouldn't say nothin' about it out loud.
Rodin:
(still scared) I ain't sayin' nothin'! I gotta go now!
SFX:
QUICK FOOTSTEPS ON WOODEN FLOOR (6)
SFX:
DOOR OPENS WITH BELL (pause) DOOR CLOSES
Matt:
Well, it looks like you handled that pretty well, Daggit.
Dan:
(sighs) I can't fight every man in the world.
Matt:
No, I guess you can't.
Dan:
And I don't aim to.....long as they don't push me too far.
Matt:
Dobie leaving you alone?
Dan:
Oh, he's doin' a lot of talkin' around. He's tryin' to stir up trouble. But before it comes, we'll probably be gone. Back to Colorado and the mountains.
Matt:
Oh...
Dan:
But Marshall, you come and see us sometime the next day or so. Rose would kinda like that.
Matt:
Thank you, Daggit. It'd be a pleasure.
MFX:
BRIDGE
Chester:
Where's Doc this mornin', Mister Dillon? I been up to his office twice and he ain't there.
Matt:
He was called out to the Duke place last night.
Chester:
Somebody sick?
Matt:
Doc doesn't get many social calls, Chester.
Chester; Well, I was callin' on him social.
Matt:
He'll appreciate that. Well, I think I'll go up to the Dodge House and make a call on Jim Dobie.
Chester:
More trouble, Mister Dillon?
Matt:
There will be if somebody doesn't stop him. He's been talking to everybody who'll listen about Rose Daggit being Yellow Horse's daughter, and how they ought to run her out of town.
Chester:
It's like he's lookin' for help, ain't it?
Matt:
Yeah.
Chester:
He ought to know better than that...a man like Dobie.
Matt:
Well, that's what I'm going to try to explain to him, Chester.
SFX:
DOOR OPENS (pause) DOOR CLOSE
Matt:
Hello, Daggit.
Dan:
(worried) Marshall, I'm kinda worried.
Matt:
Why? What's the matter?
Dan:
It's Rose. I can't find her nowhere!
Matt:
(concerned) You can't find her?
Dan:
I feel like a fool comin' here and telling you. (long pause) Maybe you and Chester'll help me look for her? I been everywhere.
Matt:
Of COURSE we'll help you! Now where did you see her last?
Dan:
In our room. Let me tell you, I woke up real early and I couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't want to bother Rose, so I got dressed and went out on the street and walked around. I weren't gone more'n an hour, Marshall! (woefully) I shouldn't never of left her!
Matt:
Did you ask them at the hotel? Did anyone see her leave?
Dan:
There weren't nobody at the hotel. Not when I went out and not when I come back. Nobody seen her.
Chester:
Well, where would she have gone that hour of the mornin'?
Dan:
She wouldn't've gone nowhere, Chester! Not Rose. That's what I can't understand.
Matt:
Well, all right, let's start looking for her. Come on.
SFX:
THREE SETS OF FOOTSTEP TO DOOR (4 or 5 steps)
SFX:
DOOR OPEN
Matt:
I guess we'll start with the hotel.
Dan:
I sure do thank you, Marshall. And you, too, Chester.
Chester:
We'll find her. Don't you worry. (pause) Hey! That's Doc's buggy coming there!
Matt:
Yeah, it sure is.
Chester:
Look! He's got somebody with him!
SFX:
HORSE AND BUGGY SOUNDS FADE IN
Dan:
(excited) THAT'S ROSE! THAT'S ROSE IN THAT BUGGY!
SFX:
BUGGY PULLS TO STOP
SFX:
MAN RUNNING ON DIRT STREET (5 OR 6 STEPS)
Dan:
(relieved) ROSE! ROSE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?
Rose:
Hello, Dan.
Dan:
Well, get down.
Rose:
You'll have to carry me, Dan.
Dan:
Where you been? What happened to your feet?
Doc:
Chester?
Chester:
What, Doc?
Doc:
Do me a favor, take this buggy, will you?
Chester:
Sure I will.
Doc:
And you, Daggit, take Rose into the Marshall's office. She shouldn't be on the street out here.
Dan:
We'll go.
Doc:
She told me about her husband, Matt, but she didn't tell me he was THAT big! Come on! Let's follow them.
SFX:
2 SETS OF FOOTSTEPS ON WOODEN WALK (6 STEPS EACH) UNDER FOLLOWING
Matt:
Yeah, tell me, Doc, what's Rose doing with you?
Doc:
I found her out on the prairie, about 10 miles East of here.
Matt:
What was she doing out there?
Doc:
I'll let her tell you that.
SFX:
DOOR OPEN (pause) DOOR CLOSE
Dan:
Just you stay and sit right there, Rose.
Rose:
I'm all right, Dan. (pause) Doc, this is my husband, Dan.
Doc:
I kinda gathered that, Rose. Glad to know you, Dan.
Dan:
Good thing you come along, Doc.
Doc:
You feel up to telling the whole story, Rose?
Rose:
Uh huh
Doc:
I expect the Marshall here will be interested, too.
Rose:
Yes, all right.
Doc:
And then I want you to come up to my office with me.
Rose:
Yes doctor.
Matt:
Has she been hurt?
Doc:
Go ahead, Rose......tell them.
Rose:
Well, early this morning I woke up when somebody tied a bandana over my face.....
Dan:
(interrupting) I NEVER should have left you alone!
Rose:
That's foolish talk, Dan. It wasn't your fault.
Doc:
Go on, Rose...
Rose:
Well, it was two men. They never said a word the whole time. They never talked once. But they carried me out the back way. Then they tied me onto a horse and led it way out into the prairie. They finally stopped and took me off and untied me. And then they took my shoes away, and they rode off. (Pause) I finally got the blindfold off, and I walked and walked till I saw the doctor's buggy coming. (pause) I couldn't have walked much further.
Dan:
Oh, Rose....
Matt:
Wait a minute, Dan. Rose, you never saw those men, and you never heard their voices?
Rose:
No, But I heard them walk. Everybody has a different walk.
Matt:
Did you recognize either of them from hearing them walk?
Rose:
No. It wasn't Dobie, or that man in the store.
Dan:
We'll find them, Rose! We'll sit on the street...we'll listen till we find them! (getting angry) When we do.....I'll cut them.....I'll cut them awful before I KILL them!
Matt:
(forcefully) NO, Daggitt! You let Rose find them, if she can, and then I'll take them.
Dan:
They're mine, Marshall! They're just as much mine as Rose is mine! I wouldn't let nobody else in the world touch them but me!
Matt:
It'll be murder.
Dan:
Is that what you call it? Rose, Doc wants you in his office. You go along now. And then we'll start listening. It's as good a way to hunt as any.
MFX:
TRANSITION
Matt:
(narrating) For the next few days the Daggitts took up their post on the boardwalk halfway down Front Street. Rose would sit there for hours her head down, her eyes half-closed, listening to the footsteps of hundreds of men as they passed. And Daggitt would stand at her side, his Bowie knife in his belt, waiting with animal patience for a sign from his wife. (pause) But it didn't come, and I began to hope that for his sake the kidnappers had left the country, and nothing would happen. (pause) And then, on the morning of the third day Chester and I were loafing around on the porch of the general store...
Chester:
Well, where's the Daggitts this morning, Mister Dillon? They ain't over there where they usually are.
Matt:
I guess they haven't started yet, Chester.
Chester:
I swear, every man in Dodge musta walked past there by now.
Matt:
All but two maybe.
SFX:
FOOTSTEPS FADE IN (8)
Dobie:
Mornin', Marshall....Chester.
Chester:
Hello, Mister Dobie.
Matt:
Dobie.
Dobie:
I'm lookin' for the Daggitts, Marshall. You seen them?
Matt:
No, I haven't, Dobie. But Dan Daggitt isn't taking things as easy as he was. If I were you, I'd stop looking right now.
Dobie:
(quietly, a little embarrassed) Doc told me what happened, Marshall.
Matt:
Doc did, huh?
Dobie:
Well, he knew nobody else would. So he took it upon himself.
Matt:
For what?
Dobie:
For my own good.....the way he put it.
Matt:
Well? Did it do you any good?
Dobie:
(pauses before speaking) It......it made me MAD! Mad at MYSELF, mostly. I've been a fool.
Chester:
(very concerned) Mister Dillon! There's Rose now! In the street there. And she's got a shotgun! (pause) What's she doing?
Matt:
It looks like she's following those two men. (pause) Come on.
Chester:
She sure is. She's stopped them. (voice rising with fear and concern) She's got them turned around! SAY! SHE'S GONNA SHOOT THEM! (pause) They ain't makin' a move!
Man:
(off mic) How do ya know it was us? (pause) And what if it was? I guess you ain't learnt nothin'! Maybe we'll have to do it again!
Matt:
Don't shoot, Rose! I'll take them....
SFX:
TWO SHOTGUN BLASTS
Matt:
All right, give me the shotgun, Rose.
Rose:
(calmly) It's empty, Marshall.
Matt:
Why did you do it? I'da arrested them.
Rose:
Dan would have found a way to kill them, even if you had arrested them.
Chester:
(off mic) They're dead, Mister Dillon......both of them.
Matt:
Who are they, Chester?
Chester:
Never saw them before in my life. Couple of strangers, I guess. (pause) I'll go get somebody to give me a hand.
SFX:
RUNNING FOOTSTEPS FADE IN (6)
Dan:
(off mic) Rose! Rose! Was that them? (ON mic) Why didn't you tell me? What'd you run away for? Why'd you kill them?
Rose:
They are the ones, Dan.
Dan:
How'd you know? Where'd you spot them?
Rose:
They walked past our table while we were eating breakfast.
Dan:
You said you was going up to our room!
Rose:
I DID go. Long enough to get the shotgun.
Dan:
(getting upset) Why didn't you tell me? Why's YOU have to kill them?
Rose:
I couldn't see you hang for what happened to me, Dan.
Dan:
I'd gladly hung for it! Anything's better'n you goin' to jail!
Rose:
I will not mind, Dan.
Dan:
(pleading) It'll kill you! I WON'T let it happen! It AIN'T RIGHT! (warning) Don't try and take her, Marshall! Don't you try!
Matt:
I know how you feel, Daggitt. But I've got to arrest her. (pause) Rose has got to stand trial.
Dan:
(fearful) What'll they do to her?
Matt:
Well, I don't think there's a judge or jury in Kansas who'd convict Rose for what she did, under the circumstances.
Dobie:
(off mic) Marshall Dillon?
Matt:
Yes, what is it, Dobie?
Dobie:
(ON mic) I gotta say somthin', Marshall.
Matt:
All right, say it.
Dobie:
Them two men she killed....I just looked at them, and I don't know who they were....but I've seen them before....
Matt:
So?
Dobie:
I seen them the other day when I was talkin' the way I was. They heard me....They was listenin'.
Matt:
Go ahead....
Dobie:
Well, I just had to tell you that. (halting) I....I don't feel very proud.
Matt: You're the one that oughta go to jail, Dobie.
Dobie:
That's what I'm tryin' to tell you, Marshall! It's mostly MY fault, what happened to her, and this killing, and all....
Matt:
Well, you learned something now, anyway.
Dobie:
Only, there's nothin' I can do about it. It's too late. I feel like hidin'.
Rose:
(softly) Mister Dobie?
Dobie:
Yes, ma'am?
Rose:
Would you walk back to the hotel with me and my husband?
Dobie:
(humbled) Thank you, ma'am.... I'd....I'd be proud to.
MFX:
OUTRO MUSIC